Horse Racing: Road to Kentucky Derby has hockey flavor with emergence of Howe Great

In this file photo taken Feb. 2, 2012, hockey great Gordie Howe, part owner of the Western Hockey League's Vancouver Giants, looks on during a team news conference in Vancouver, British Columbia. Howe Great, a 3-year-old colt on the road to the Kentucky Derby is named after Howe, moved into the latest AP Run to the Roses Top 10 at No. 10 following his one-length victory over Dullahan in the Palm Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Sunday, March 11. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Darryl Dyck, file)

In this photo provided by Gulfstream Park, Howe Great, ridden by John Velazquez, captures the Palm Beach Stakes horse race, Sunday, March 11, 2012, at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla. Howe Great, named for Hall of Famer Gordie Howe, moved into the latest AP Run to the Roses Top 10 at No. 10 following his one-length victory over Dullahan on Sunday. Although the race was on turf, Irwin and trainer Graham Motion will be looking at the May 5 Derby (run over dirt) if the colt runs well in his next start, the Blue Grass at Keeneland on April 14. (AP Photo/Gulfstream Park, Adam Coglianese)

Every now and then an NHL star or a hockey team inspires a racehorse owner.

There have been several horses named for Wayne Gretzky (The Great Gretzky, Gretsky, Gretskyshattrick) and one for the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team (Believeinmiracles).

Barry Schwartz, the former chairman of the New York Racing Association and a lifelong Rangers fan, owns or has owned horses named Henrik, Sean Avery and O Shanny -- for goalie Henrik Lundqvist and former Rangers Sean Avery and Brendan Shanahan.

Now comes Howe Great, a 3-year-old colt on the road to the Kentucky Derby named for Hall of Famer Gordie Howe. Barry Irwin, whose Team Valor International owns the horse, came up with the name for the son of Hat Trick. It's also a nod to the Gordie Howe hat trick -- a goal, an assist and a fight in the same game.

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Howe Great moved into the latest AP Run to the Roses Top 10 at No. 10 following his one-length victory over Dullahan in the Palm Beach Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Sunday. Although the race was on turf, Irwin and trainer Graham Motion will be looking at the May 5 Derby (run over dirt) if the colt runs well in his next start, the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 14. Howe Great has won four in a row, all on the turf.

Irwin and Motion took a similar approach last year before winning the Derby with Animal Kingdom.

Union Rags and Hansen remained 1-2, while Creative Cause moved in at No. 4 following a three-quarters of a length win in the San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita over the weekend.

The San Felipe was one of the deepest Derby preps to date, with trainer Bob Baffert's Bodemeister finishing second and Midnight Transfer running third. Bodemeister is No. 7 this week. Another Baffert Derby hopeful, Liaison, was fourth in the race and dropped out of the Top 10.

In other preps over the weekend, Prospective won the Tampa Bay Derby by three-quarters of a length over Golden Ticket and will likely make his next start in the Wood Memorial, and Trinniberg won the Swale Stakes at Gulfstream, with 6-5 favorite Ever So Lucky third.

Gemologist, No. 5 this week, will make his 3-year-old debut Friday in an allowance race at Gulfstream instead of the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Saturday.

The Rebel field, meanwhile, will include Kid Sidney, a possible reference to Penguins star Sidney Crosby. The colt is a son of Lemon Drop Kid, out of the mare Sidneys Angel Face, and the current owners are not sure if the breeders had Crosby in mind when they named the horse.

10. Howe Great (Graham Motion, John Velazquez): ... Won Palm Beach (G3) on turf over Dullahan. ... Has won four in a row on turf, but will be considered for Derby (on dirt). ... Next start: Blue Grass (G1), Keeneland, April 14. ... Odds: 3-1 (mutuel field).